Method and apparatus for forming a raised character of radium luminous material or the like



y 193.4. H. L. PAGE 4 1,966,515

v METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING A RAISED CHARACTER 0F RADIUM LUMINOUS MATERIAL OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 9, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l July 17, 1934. PAGE 1,966,515

H. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING ARAISED CHARACTER OF RADIUM LUMINQUS MATERIAL OR THE LIKE Filed D90. 9, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 T d gwmmwtoz [Yon aura L. Page,

July 17, 1934. H PAGE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING A RAISED CHARACTER OF RADIUM LUMINOUS MATERIAL OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 9, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 am A? gwvenlol H award 1.. Page,

July 17, 1934. H PAGE 1,966,515

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING A RAISED CHARACTER 0F RADIUM LUMINOUS MATERIAL OR THE LIKE Filed D60. 9, 1930 4 SheetsSheet 4 91 v Howard L. Page,

A w g close physical or personal contact with the ma- Patented July 17, 1934 r A .zUN TE STATES PATENTYOFFICE" A I METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING A RAISED CHARACTER OF RADIUM LU- MINOUS MATERIAL OR THE LIKE Howard L. Page, Chicago, Ill. Application December 9, 1930, Serial No. 501,156

' 16 Claims. (01.101-114) This invention relates to methods and means method of transferring indicia material to a final, for applying indicia to a receiving surface, and receiving surface wherein the said material is with particularity to a method whereby such initially wet, but is allowed to dry prior to the indicia may be applied without requiring any actual transfer thereof to the receiving surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide a terial constituting the indicia. method for automatically applying radium lumi- While the invention disclosed herein relates to nous paints or the like to an indicia transfer a process which is capable of use in any 'conmember. nection where characters or indicia are to be A feature of the invention relates to a method transferred or applied to a receiving surface,'the of transferring indicia from a carrier to a final invention is of outstanding value in the field of receiving surface wherein the indicia material is radium luminescent products. For example, in allowed to dry in a mold'andthe final receiving the case of articles that are required to be coat surface is provided with a portion'of its surface ed with radium luminescent compounds and/or covered with an adhesive which acts to extract mixtures, it is highly desirable that theoperathe indicia material from the mold, said adhesive tion of applying luminescent compounds be efalso serving to fasten the transfer indicia to the fected without necessitating the operator hanfinal receiving surface. dling or being in close contact with the radium A still further feature relates to methods and bearing material. .The means .and process acmeans for manipulating radium luminescent 20 cording to this invention enable radium bearing paints in their application to afinal receiving suror other similar materials to be applied to a reface, such as a dial or the like. H ceiving surface with a minimum of danger to the Another object is to provide a system of this operator. In the case of radium luminescent kind, in which the mold for the characters is materials it has been found, as a matter of fact, formed of a substance which'is able to hold the that in order that the self-luminescent material, fluid or semi-fluid paste until it is dry, and which for example zinc sulphide, may retain its 'eflidoes not adhere to the characters formed of the ciency asa self-luminescent source, it is highly paste after the paste has solidified to form such desirable that this material which is usually characters. Suitable materials for forming the crystalline be subjected to no excessive pressures mold are wax or a mixture of waxes with asuitable Y 30 or mechanical contacts. For example in the solid mater a o v ad d toughness. known methods of mixing so-called radium lumi- Another object is to provide a machine for this nous paint, usingzinc sulphide or the like, it is purpose, in which the semi-fluid mixture or paste necessary to agitate the crystals of the zinc sulisagitated before it is fed to the mold. Such phide in theliquidcarrier in order to insure the agitation tends to maintain the paste in proper 35 proper relation or consistency of the mixture condition until it is deposited in'the mold. since the crystals, because of their comparative Another object is to furnish an apparatus heaviness, usually tend to separate out or settle; wherein the paste in passing from a feed cylinder The usual method heretofore employed has reto the mold, travels through a resilient tube which quired the operator to stir manually the mixture acts as a wiper to smoothly distribute the 'paste 40.. or paint at yery frequent, intervals. This of in the cavities of the mold. A I V e 9? course requires very closecontact. with the ma-. A further object t Provide a machine of this terial, and at the same time, unless the material. type, in which the resilient paste conducting tube is stirred at regular intervals thedesiredconsistcooperates with special jaws which function to en'cy and/or uniformity of the paintis not atcollapse the tube, and thereby close the same, and M 45 tained. I r p to also smooth the paste into'the cavities of the Accordingly it is one of the principal objects mold. of this invention to provide a method of apply- 'A'still further object is to provide a machine ing paints, such as radium luminescent paints, of this kind, in which a. single lever is used to to a receiving surface whereby the person concontrol all of the operations.

50 trolling the application'is not required to come Another object is to provide novelmeans for into close physical contact with the paint. printing with an adhesive on a final support, and

Another ancillary object is the provision of a for then using such adhesive to withdraw the method whereby the luminous paints may be apcharacters from the mold, and to attach such plied with a maximum uniformity. characters to the final support.

I 55l Another object of the invention is to provide a With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, 7

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of a detail on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a detail on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View of a detail on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a similar view on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '7 is a front elevation of the auxiliary apparatus for withdrawing the formed characters from the mold, and for applying them to the final support. V v

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, 1 is a refillable hollow cylinder to hold the paste from which the characters are formed. This cylinder is rigidly mounted on a vertical turn-table 2, and it has a spout 2a through which the paste is ejected. The cylinder is secured to the turn-table or wheel 2 by means of a fixed jaw 3, and a hinge jaw 4, the latter, being pressed toward the stationary jaw by means of a coiled spring 5, so that the cylinder may be readily removed when empty.

Within the cylinder, there is a piston 1a fastened to the lower end of a rack 6 which meshes with a pinion '7 that is secured to the outer end of a shaft 8 (Fig. 3) which rotates in a bearing 9 that is fast on the wheel 2.

Shaft 8 has threaded to it at 8a a non-magnetic shaft 10 which has a slot and key connec- I the shell and its cap toward the plate 2.

Plate 2 carries a similar assembly of parts in cylinder 18 and bearing 15, anda similar brass shell 16 on which is mounted an iron cap 17. The plate is fast on a horizontal shaft 19 which rotates in the arms 20 and 20a of the stationary frame of the machine. Said frame also supports the iron pole piece 21 of a rotatable electro-magnet 22 on one end of which there is mounted insulated contact rings 23 and 24, against which press carbon contacts 25 and 26 that are urged.

outwardly by springs 2'7 and 28 that are secured in position by threaded terminals 29 and 30 through which current is led intermittently to said electro-magnet. The portion of the support 20 which carries the parts 25 to 30 inclusive, may be madeof insulating material, so as not to interfere with the passage of current to the electro-magnet. r I

Electro-magnet 22 is fixed to a rotatable shaft 31-which also supports a loose gear 32 that carries pins 33 and 34 which support planetary gears 35 and 36 that arein mesh with a gear 35:]. that is fast on the shaft 31. Gears 35 and 36 also mesh with an internal gear 37 that is loosely mounted L on the shaft 31 and is fixed to a gear 38. The

shaft 31" is continuously rotated by means of a worm gear 39 that is fixed on the shaft and driven by a worm 40.

A gear 41, fast on the shaft 19, meshes with the loose gear 32, and a notched disk 42 is fixed to the shaft 19 and is arranged in alignment with the gear 38. As best shown in Fig. 5, the disk 42 is provided with a. pair of diametrically opposite notches 43 and 44. These notches and the teeth of the gear 38 cooper-ate with a fiange 45 on a rockable rod 46 that is pivotally mounted on the machine frame at 47. A spring 46a. normally urges the rod toward the disk 42, and it will be understood that when the flange 45 is in ngagement with either one of the notches of the disk, the latter will be prevented from rotating, while if the fiange engages any tooth of the gear 38, such gear cannot rotate.

In operation, the worm continuously drives the worm gear 39, thereby rotating shaft 31, while the flange engages the notch 44 and holds the shaft 19 and plate 2 in such a fixed position that cylinder 1 is in the position shown. in Fig.

1. The paste or other material with which the cylinder has been previously filled, may now be forced through the nozzle 2a by completing an electric circuit through magnet 22 which causes iron cap 13 to be drawn into engagement with the pole piece 21, and the contact thus formed, suffices to rotate the gear '7, thereby forcing the rack 6 and its associated piston downwardly, and ejecting paste from the nozzle. Obviously the fiow may be stopped by breaking the electric circuit, whereupon spring 14 moves the brass shell 12 away from the pole 21 and disconnects the. cap 13 from said pole. Upon the completion of this action, rod 46 maybe moved in a manner hereinafter described to release disk 42 and engage toothed wheel 38, whereupon the gears 35a, 35, 36, 32 and 41 cause shaft 19 to rotate plate 2 onehalf a revolution, or until the notch 43 registers with the flange 45, at which time the spring46a will cause the fiange'to move into said notch and thereby cause cylinder 18 to halt in the position previously occupied by cylinder 1.

This intermittent changing of the positions of cylinders land 18 is important, as it effectually keeps the contents of the cylinders properly mixed.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a resilient tube 49 of rubber or the like is arranged below the nozzle 2a, and is held in place by a bracket 50, this tube extends into and preferably between jaws 51 and 52, which act to squeeze the tube and cut off the flow therefrom. Jaw 51 is an offset on shaft 53, while jaw 52 is an ofiset on a rockable sleeve 54 in which the shaft 53 may rock. A bevel gear 55 is fixed to the shaft, and a similar gear 56 is fixed to the sleeve, and these parts are all supported by a bearing 5'7 in which the sleeve 54 rocks. The shaft and sleeve are moved in opposite directions by means of a bevel gear 58 which meshes with the gears 55 and 56, and is fixed to the upper end, of a rock shaft 59. The latter is journaled in suitable supports on the framaand is provided at its lower end with a fixed arm 60 that is connected by a link 61 to a hand operated lever 62. The lever can swing upwardly. and downwardly on a pin 63' which projects from a post 64 that is swiveled on a support 65. This constructionv allows the lever'to move upwardly or downwardly, and to swing horizontally. I

The operating lever has a handle portion 621) which can slide over asupport .66 on which is mounted suitably insulated electric contacts 67 and 66. These contacts are connected to the ter minals 29 and 30 by means of conducting wires 67a and 68a, and in one of these wires, a battery 685 or the like is interposed. Obviously,15

when the handle bridges the contacts 6'7 and 68, the electro-magnet -22 will be energized.

As all of the movements of the machine are controlled by the single lever 62, that lever has an upwardly. extending portion 62a which supports an elevator 70 that has a key 71 operating in ,a keyway 72 in a post 73 which projects upwardly from the base '74, of the machine; The elevator or support '70 carries'bearings '75 and 76 in which rotates a shaft "7'1 that carries at one end, a fast pulley '78, which, when the ele vatoris raised, engages the main drive belt 79 which is driven by any suitable prime mover, (notshown). The belt also drives a main drive pulley 80, fast on ashaft 81 that. is journaled in a support 82. This shaft has a, fast bevel gear 83 that drives a similar gear 84; fixed onthe lower end of a shaft 85, on which the worm so is also mounted. 1 I

For the purpose of rocking the rod .46, .the

lower end of .the latter is connected by a link 86 to the main operating lever 62,'and as shown at 86aythe link is connected to the lever by a lost motion device, so that the lever may swing horizontally for some distance before the link 86 commences to move the rod 46. Shaft '77 carries also a worm 8'7 that drives a wormgear 88 that is fixed to a spindle 89 which rotates'a horizontal turn-table 90 that is re cessed to holdthe. mold 91..

In operation, an empty mold 91 having in its upper face, cavities orindentations to form. the characters such as figures 'or letters, .isplaced on the turn-table 90, so as torotate with the latter. Then the operating lever 62 israised vertically until the upper surface of the mold is in contact with the under surfaces of the jaws 51' and 52, and the mold is caused to rotate below the jaws by virtue of the friction drive established between pulley 78 and belt '79. 1 Operating lever 62 is then moved toward contacts 67 and 68, and due to the link 61, the gear 58. acts to open the jaws 51. and 52. As the operating lever swings further over the support 66, itwill bridge the contacts 67 and 68, and complete the electric circuit, thereby energizing the electromagnet which is in constant rotation, as it is fixedly mounted on the shaft 31. Consequently, pole piece 21 attracts and firmly holds the iron cap 13, and-this results in the turning of the pinion 7 and downward movement of the rack 6, which causes the paste or semi-fluid mixture in the cylinder 1 to flow through'the fiat tube 49 and fill the recessed portions (Fig; 8) of the mold 91. When the mold is entirely -filled,'the motion of operating lever 62 is continued in the same direction-past contacts 67and 68, which results in breaking the electric circuit and stopping the motion of the rack. 6. At thispoint of its travel, operating lever 62, through the pre-- viously described linkage, causes. plate, 2 to rotate until cylinder 18' is in an operative position, therebycompleting the cycle of motions,

Now, operating lever 62 is slightly raised so as,

to clear contacts 67 and 68, and is returned to Among the particular advantages of the ma-' chine arethe mixingof the paste orma'terial in both cylindersdue to'the intermittent rota-i tion, whereby the heavier solid particles are prevented from settling out.

7 The actioniof the jaws is ofadvantage. as

they are nearly in contact withthe surface of the mold, thereby assisting in' preventing the smearing of the paste on the mold.

The action of the lower end of the rubber tube 49 is of advantage, as when it is between the jaws, the flexible material bears against the mold and acts as a wiper on the surface of the mold, thereby cleaning the latter.

The construction-of the machine is such as to allow of the placing of molds of different sizes on the turn-table 90.

The spring clips holding cylinders 1 and 18, allow the operator 'toremove the cylinders and insert refilled ones without delay, and further-' more additional spring clips for holding any number of cylinders may be employed, and these may be filled withpastes of different types or colors, and may be successively used to fill different parts of a single mold. The mold itself is, "however, one of the principal features of the invention. In operation, the mold is filled with a mixture or paste which, upon'drying, leaves solid characters, and this necessitates a mixture having some adhesive properties." It is manifest that any liquid with such properties will tend to adhere to the mold itself, and it would be very difficult to remove the molded characters from the mold. I

I havev found that one of the most suitable materials for such a mold is. wax. Wax has. the unusual feature of not adhering to the adhesive used to compoundthe paste or semi-fluid mixture, with which the mold is filled, and it also carries an excellent surface polish which materially assists in producing a molded figure having a perfect contour and surface. In forming the mold, the wax is brought in contact with the pattern while in a liquid or plastic condition, and after it cools and solidifies, it

may be readily removed from the pattern, and j' it will have'in its face, indentations or cavities corresponding to the projecting portions of the pattern, and in this way, the mold 91 is formed. Such a mold may be used any number of times to produce the finished letters or figures.

alloy of metals which carries orcontains Sllfil- .1

cient wax or similar material to produce a mold which is capable of holding the paste until the latter hardens, and then readily" releases the characters thus formed. In my method, I contemplate using a mold of. this character, and

it will be evident that such method may be used to unusual advantage in the forming of letters, figures, or other designs from any phosphorescent or radium active compound.

In order to remove the dried characters from 1 the mold, I place-the latter, as shown in Figs.

'lland 8, upon onelof two stools '92'and 93 that project'from a carriage94 which can travel along a track 95. The stool 93 supports a-disk 96 having raised characters 9'7 thereon which corg respond in size and arrangement exactly with the characters 98. which; are embedded in the mold. An adhesive substance is applied to the raised characters bymeans of a suitable roll or the like, and then'the carriage is shifted'to bring the disk 96'beneath an electro-magnet 99 which is furnishedwith current in any-suitable way. The. magnet is supported by a slidable rod 100 which is pivotally connected at 101, to the intermediate portion of an operating lever 102. One end of this lever is pivotally connected at 103 to an arm 104 which is rigidly united with a guide .105 in which the rod slides. The guide is carried by a post 106 which projects upwardly from the base.

While the electro-magnet is in the position shown in Fig. 7, a final support 107, such as a metal disk, is placed on its under side, and then, when current is turned into the magnet, this final support will adhere to the electro-rnagnet. Now, if the lever 102 is operated to depress the final support into engagement with the raised characters 97, the adhesive previously applied to those characters will be transferred to the final support. Then the lever 102 is raised and the carriage is shifted to bring the mold 91 into register with the electro-magnet, and when the lever 102 is depressed, the adhesive on the final support will register with the characters 98 of the mold, and the characters 98 willbe caused to adhere to the final support. Then, when the lever 102. is raised, the adhesive will draw the characters 98 out of the mold and afterwards the current may be turned off from the electromagnet, and the final support with the characters 98 rigidly secured thereto, may be removed from the apparatus.

From the foregoing it is believed that my method and apparatus may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, and I am aware that changes may be made in the details disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A process comprising mixing a solid with a liquid of an adhesive nature and thereby forming a paste, depositing said paste in a mold having the non-adherent characteristics of wax to form raised characters, and then removing resulting characters from the mold after said paste has dried in the mold, by contacting said characters alone with a member adhesively coated in localized areas corresponding to saidcharacters.

2. A process comprising making a paste which at normal temperatures is a liquid, but which is capable of solidifying by drying, depositing the paste in a permanent mold which will not adhere to the paste, and thereby forming withdrawable characters having vertical height, and removing said characters from the mold after the paste has dried, by contacting said characters alone with a member adhesively coated in localized areas corresponding to said characters.

3. A process comprising making a paste which is a liquid at normal temperatures but a solid upon drying, depositing said paste in a mold which will not adhere to the paste, allowing the paste to remain in the mold for a sufficient length of time for the paste to solidify and form raised characters, applying adhesive to said characters, and then exerting force upon said adhesive to a final receiving surface in localized areas corresponding to said characters to Withwhich solidifies upon drying, into a mold having cavities in the form of characters, imprinting on a final support correspondingly shaped characters with a suitable adhesive, then bringing the printed characters of the final support into contact with the solidified paste of the mold, and then moving the final support and mold away from one another and thereby forming on the final support characters having vertical height.

6. In the art of forming and attaching raised indicia to a final receiving surface, the method which includes applying to a recessed transfer surface, material to form the indicia,.molding said material in the recesses on said surface, allowing said material to dry in said recesses prior to transfer to said final receiving surface, applying to said final surface an adhesive only at points where the indicia are to be attached, bringing the final receiving surface into contact with the material in the recesses, and withdrawing the receiving surface to lift the said material from said recesses.

7. The method according to claim 6, in which the indicia material is applied to the transfer surface in a semi-fluid state.

8. The method according to claim 6 in which the said transfer surface is treated prior to the application of the indicia material thereto to prevent said material adhering thereto.

9. In the art of forming and attaching to a final receiving surface raised indicia of material containing a radium activated material, the method which comprises automatically applying said material to'a recessed transfer surface, molding said material into the desired shape on said surface, allowing said' molded material to dry prior to transfer to the final receiving surface, applying to said final surface an adhesive only at points where the indicia are to be attached, bringing the final receiving surface into contact with the material in the recesses, and withdrawing the receiving surface to lift the said material from said recesses.

10. In the art of forming and attaching raised indicia to a final receiving surface, the method which includes, the steps of filling a mold having depressions corresponding to the indicia, with a semi-fluid paste, allowing said paste to dry in said depressions prior to applying to a receiving surface, applying to said final surface an adhesive only at points where the indicia are to be attached, bringing the final receiving surface into contact with the material in the depressions, and withdrawing the receiving surface to lift the said material from said depressions.

11. The method according to claim 10 in which the paste is liquid at normal temperatures and is dried by evaporation in the depressions.

12. The method according to claim 10 in which the paste contains radium luminous material.

13. The method according to claim 10 in which the dried paste in the depressions is withdrawn bodily therefrom by an adhesive material.

14. In the art of forming and applying raised characters containing radium luminous materials to a final receiving surface, the method which includes the steps'of mixing said material with a liquid carrier to form a paste-like adhesive mass,

pouring said mass into a mold having depressions corresponding to the indicia, allowing said paste to become solid in said depressions, applying adhesive material to said final surface only at the points where the indicia are to be attached, po-

sitioning said surface in contact with the material in the depressions, and moving said final surface to withdraw said material bodily from the depressions.

15. In the art of applying raised characters to a 16. In the art of applying a raised character to a final receiving surface, the method which includes withdrawing a solidified character from a recessed mold by contacting the exposed surface of the character alone with an adhesive material carried in restricted localizedvareas on said receiving surface corresponding to said characters.

HOWARD L. PAGE. 

